Future support for the voluntary and community sector - Citizens' Panel

This Citizens’ Panel survey focused on future support for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) exploring Panel members views on three key areas:

• Reducing the size of the Voluntary Support Sector Fund (VSSF), which provides unrestricted core funding to the sector to help with running costs of their organisations.
• Making VCS property arrangements more consistent, including by reducing the amount of property costs we are subsidising for the sector, for example tenants taking on responsibilities for property costs, including rent and repairs.
• Reviewing how the Council can make savings and generate income from its non-residential buildings.

The survey received 224 responses.

• Future support for the voluntary and community sector –  Almost half (48 per cent) of Panel members agreed that it is reasonable to reduce Council funding to the Voluntary and Community Sector given the current financial challenges, with 29 per cent agreeing and 19 per cent strongly agreeing. A total of 34 per cent disagreed (13 per cent strongly disagree and 21 per cent disagreed).
• Voluntary Sector Support Fund (VSSF) - The majority of respondents (62 per cent) believe that, given the financial context, core funding should still be provided through the VSSF. When asked which outcomes should be prioritised if core costs continue to be funded, the most common response was ensuring residents can access support that mitigates the impact of deprivation and disadvantage (62 per cent). When asked how funding should be prioritised if core costs continue with less funding available, the highest priority was given to those providing services directly to residents (51 per cent), this was followed by those working to reduce the effects of deprivation (44 per cent).
• Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Property Policy – When asked to select which ideas Panel members thought would help make the Council's property arrangements with voluntary and community organisations fairer and more consistent, the most frequently selected option was introducing clear and consistent rent and lease terms for all VCS tenants (65 per cent). Responses were almost evenly split on whether it is fair for voluntary and community sector organisations using Council property to pay all bills, utilities, and business rates without financial support from the Council, half of respondents (50 per cent) agreed that this is fair, while 49 per cent thought not.
• Increasing income from Council owned properties – The majority (67 per cent) of Panel members supported the idea that the Council should seek to increase income from its properties to reduce savings required from frontline services. Overall Panel members show support for exploring options to increase Council income. The most popular option was co-locating services in communities so more services are available, selected by 74 per cent. Increasing the number of buildings generating commercial income was supported by 72 per cent, while reducing the number of operational buildings used by Council staff was chosen by 63 per cent.

Voluntary Sector Support Fund (VSSF):

• We are keeping the VSSF a core costs grants programme supporting the backbone of organisations' operations so they can do their best delivering for our residents.
• Around 85% of the programme budget will go to organisations that deliver services directly to residents.
• For each of the three years of funding £150,000 will be ringfenced for smaller organisations (Small Grants Fund). That's £25,000 per year for three years for six small organisations.
• Funding reductions will be staggered year-on-year, except for Small Grants Fund holders who will receive £25,000 per year for three years.
• We will fund organisations that do the most to reduce the effects of deprivation in the borough, and do the most for those residents with the greatest needs.
• We will be asking all applicants to demonstrate how they will mitigate the impact of deprivation and disadvantage in the borough, and this will be reinforced in grant funding agreements and through monitoring visits.

Voluntary Community Sector (VCS):

The feedback from this survey will be used to influence the development of the Voluntary and Community Sector Leasing Policy which is still underway.